More than a year after its debut, I still can’t believe how disappointing Amazon’s mega-budget spy series is. citadel After the incredible success that Avengers: Endgame In 2019, the Russo Brothers were apparently given blank checks to do whatever they wanted. Unfortunately, I have not found any of their follow-up projects that Finalwith both cherry And The Grey Man received lukewarm responses. The latter Netflix action film was once on the verge of releasing a sequel and spinoff, but little has been heard of either since its 2022 release.

One thing I could never accuse the siblings of is laziness, as they have worked as producers and writers on many other projects in addition to the various films directed by the Russo Brothers. Joe Russo wrote the extraction films, with the siblings also producing both films. They have production credits on Everything everywhere at once and horror series Out of too. I can admire their productivity, but as citadel shows that quantity does not always equate to quality.

Citadel did not live up to its budget and talent

On paper, Citadel should be one of the biggest shows on television

I am a fan of good spy series or movies, so citadel When I first heard about it, it fulfilled many of my expectations. citadel The main actors include Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville and it promised to be a television series with cinematic settings and proportions. Then I became worried when reports came that citadel The budget had risen to $300 million due to reshoots and recuts and reports of creative clashes. citadel Season 1 consists of only six episodes, which equates to an average of about $50 million per episode.

I can appreciate that citadel is smoothly done, but the problem is how familiar and hollow it felt. They may be beautiful people, but Madden and Chopra have no chemistry, while an actor with Tucci’s talents deserves better material than to be an exposition machine. Even the elaborate scenes and gunfights seemed lifeless. citadel The end of the first season even contained a completely groundbreaking twist – and one that didn’t affect me at all.

Related

The 10 biggest unanswered questions about Season 1 of Citadel

The finale of the first season of “Citadel” answered some important questions, but the series still has many more unsolved mysteries that must be answered in the second season.

Of course, a big budget and an all-star cast don’t guarantee that something will be great, as many blockbuster films prove. citadel had the potential to be something fresh or innovative, but instead of subverting genre tropes, it leaned into them.

How Citadel Season 2 can be better than Season 1

The Russos are even more creative in Citadel’s second series

Amazon is hoping that its spy saga will be well received. citadel Season 2 was clear when the credits rolled on Season 1. I will admit that the big reveal in Season 1 opens up some fun storytelling opportunities, as Madden’s Mason Kane may will be a meaner one next time. Fantastic character actors like Matt Berry, Jack Reynor and Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass) will take part in the next year citadel Also.

An announcement that shakes my confidence in citadel Season 2 is that Joe Russo no longer directs every episodeas originally planned (via puck). The reasons for this are understandable, as the brothers spent the next two avenger Sequels for Marvel. Joe will still be a part of citadel Season 2, but given the convoluted nature of Season 1, having the same director helm each episode would have helped make the next installment feel more coherent and focused.

The creative debates on citadel can explain how chaotic the story could feel at times. I hope the Russos and their collaborators learned what worked and what didn’t the first time around. They’re armed with a great ensemble and a big budget, so I don’t think there is any excuse for citadel Season 2 suffers from the same problems.

Citadel is already a franchise on Amazon Prime Video

Citadel: Diana will put the franchise to the test

Another thing that interested me citadel First and foremost, Amazon’s plan was to make this a truly international affair. The first season finale included a teaser for Citadel: Dianaan Italian spinoff starring Matilda De Angelis, while a Hindi series dubbed Citadel: Honey Bunny is also detailed; both spinoffs are scheduled to debut in late 2024. Despite the mixed response to the first season, both Amazon and the Russos are interested in citadel works so that despite a bumpy start, it still gets back on its feet.

All in all, citadel was so disappointing that I will wait for future seasons. If word of mouth Diana is solid, I’ll watch it, but Season 2 would almost have to be a soft reboot to win me over. There were fundamental problems with the plot and characters that made it a drag, so the next chapter needs a real injection of energy and – most importantly – fun.

Source: Puck

citadel

Citadel is a 2023 action thriller series developed by the Russo Brothers. The plot revolves around agents Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh, played by Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who work for a global intelligence agency whose goal is to maintain world stability. They must face a new threat from a shadowy organization bent on global chaos. Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville star in this high-profile, globe-spanning spy drama.

Pour

Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Stanley Tucci, Lesley Manville, Osy Ikhile, Ashleigh Cummings

Release date

28 April 2023

Authors

John Applebaum, Bryan Oh, David Weil

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